Now is the Time!

 

Have you always wanted to start your own business but didn’t know how? Or not sure if were a “go-getter”. YOU CAN DO IT! Start your business with Shaklee today-before the end of March, to catch this great deal!!

A great offer for March. Go green with Shaklee, earn money and win free stuff! If you were looking at joining Shaklee now is the time! 
New Distributors who sponsor under this offer with a minimum 50 PV purchase will receive a free Shaklee product – a canister of Shaklee 180® Café Latte Energizing Smoothee – and they have the opportunity to sponsor new people under this same lucrative offer through MARCH 21st!!!

New Members who sponsor under this offer with a minimum 50 PV purchase will receive free $19.95 Membership as well as a free Shaklee product – a canister of Shaklee 180® Café Latte Energizing Smoothee (while supplies last) through MARCH 31st!!!!

Creative Writing Contest….the Fluffy Unicorn.

FLUFFY UNICORN!
Okay, I admit, recently watching Despicable Me 2 (again!) is influencing my writing. If Agnes were here, she would understand my excitement. If only I were as cute and adorable as her, but for a 26 year old it’s not quite possible to pull off that level of cute and adorable-ness. It can be said, though I have her energy and exhuberance, she for her fluffy unicorn and me for anything that flutters into my brain at the moment…a creative spark, a to-do list to be accomplished, an idea to be fully developed, complete with all it’s feathers….you name it.

As a writer, I’m often in the over-emotional exuberance that every post of mine must be done with the same ear-screeching passion as Agnes for her fluffy unicorn. Yet, every post cannot hold that same sort of emotion for a reader, or else they get exhausted, burnt out, and run away with their hands over their ears crying of a head-ache. In hopes of not burning my readers “ears” with the same sort of posts, today I will try something different. Instead of writing a bio of me, I will provide you with the opportunity to use your creative skills and see if you can solve the puzzle of who I am. In short- create my bio…(homemaking-guru FASHIONABLY CLEAN, aka,Me) using the words given. When you see the words, write a sentence using them, that you think applies to me. The one closest to my story gets a prize of something for your home…(deciding still….but it will be good…:D )

Rules. Story must be 11 sentences, or shorter, posted in the comments. Please keep it clean and free from obscene talk.

This is a bio of your writer, the one and only “FASHIONABLYCLEANLADY” in a few short words. 10 words to be exact…with one to grow on.

1. Twenty-six
2. Florida
3. Cleaning
4. Orange
5. Blue
6. Sibling
7. Move
8. Nanny
9. Church
10. Healthy
…..11. Creative Business.

Meet Victoria

Clark

Victoria and her husband Brent

Meet Victoria.

She is a wife, mom of four-year-old Clarke. and owner of Mendhi Designs- a henna design business. I interviewed her about how pursuing a business and career at home has benefited her and her family.

Victoria, tell me a little about yourself and your business? 

V: I’m a wife and mom, I have a degree in musical theater and work as a film and commercial, actor, model and voice over actor. I also do henna on the side. My henna business is called Natural Henna Mendhi Designs.. “Natural” because I use only natural ingredients; no hair dye or PPD (which is a toxic chemical used in “black henna”) My henna is also organic. “Mendhi” is the traditional Indian Style of henna, which I love and which my style is derived from.

                                                       How did you get started? 

      V: I started henna in college. I had never heard of it before, but some of my friends started getting kits at Hot Topic and we all hennaed each other (rather badly, I’m afraid). I started doing research into how to mix henna and began buying my own and doing it at parties for my friends; then I moved on to doing small  events.

                               What is your favorite part of this business?

Natural Ingredients

      V: Learning by practicing a lot drawing patterns out on paper. I  also made friends with a really awesome local henna artist, who introduced me to the  Henna Guild of Orlando, whose meetings I attend, and I have recently taken a class  with her as well. I love that henna is a  gift  the artist gives the client. It not only makes  them feel beautiful, traditionally Mehndi is often a blessing for a life event, such as a wedding or birth. I love being able to bless  someone with the gift of a beautiful design that they love. This may sound strange, but when a friend hennas me, I feel their good intentions and wishes for me each time I look at the design. Somehow that positive energy and friendship stay with me as long as the henna lasts. I’ve heard the same from many people. A friend of mine was pregnant last year, and I hennaed her belly. She went into premature labor that week and spent a lot of time wearing a monitor. She told me that each time they monitored her, she looked down and saw the henna design peeking out from under the belt and it brought her comfort in a very stressful situation. I hope to be able to bring feelings of love, blessing, and friendship to everyone I henna.

                            What benefits have you found for you and your family? 

        V:  I love that my family supports my business. My husband and son have gotten henna, and I regularly do designs for my sister and even sometimes my mother (who was skeptical of it at first). It’s been a great little business to have in my back pocket for parties and little events, and I like getting to know someone by talking to them while I do their design. 

Applying Henna to friends

 Touch is also a big part of this business; I feel it builds a stronger relationship and helps move past the initial  awkwardness of getting to know someone when I am holding  their hand or moving them around as I have to in order to get  the design placed correctly. I was greatly influenced by the gentleness of my dance teachers’ corrective touch as a child and young woman; it means a lot to have someone connect with you physically with gentleness and caring, and I hope my clients feel  the same with me. It’s almost a spa sort of vibe. 

                                              How much time do you invest a week?

I don’t invest more than a few hours a week into henna usually,  because I just don’t have that  many events right now. I want to promote the business more, but it’s become difficult as my film, voice-over, and directing businesses continue to grow. Still, I am enjoying connecting more with local artists who encourage and inspire me to do more with henna, and “advertising” via hennaing my friends and sending them out with business cards. Good work that’s visible to the public is as good as any ad in this business.

What would you say to a woman who wants to start a business from home? 

        I think starting a home business is a great idea. It makes you feel like more than a cook, babysitter, and maid (which, let’s be honest, we all feel like sometimes). It makes you remember you have value for more than just your homemaking and parenting skills (which are incredibly valuable in themselves and should not be underestimated!). Doing something you’re good at and something that contributes to others’ lives helps you feel more like yourself, and gives you confidence and joy. I have done a LOT of home businesses, some of which did well, and some of which fizzled. So don’t be discouraged if your first, second, or eighth attempt doesn’t work out. Try something else. Find a need and fill it with something you love. 

 

                                              To contact Victoria or learn more visit: 

                                          http://Facebook.com/naturalhennamehndi

                                                        

Formation of the Future

  I sit here sipping my lemon/ginger icewater. My head is swirling with ideas that flow faster than the muscles in my fingers are trained to type. My bible lays in front of me next to my scratched out business plan. A large backback full of books, extra clothes and of rag-rugs fabric lay at my feet. The house is silent and restful- the girls are asleep soundly, as well as the dog, with the only noise being the lawn mower outside…and the candy corn taughintly calling to me  from its leaf-like dish across the room. 

   The silence affords me to think- to envision  and to create. A folded piece of paper, in bullet points carries the formation of business ideas in my head. It is the caddy for which the  disorganized internet superhighway of my brain can filter ideas to be prayed about and put into action.  Ideas for a future business- one created through flexibility and creativity. A business  to envision and train others in the skills of the home, and to offer services and products that will help them do so. A skeleton of a plan of action that can be done at any location affording me the priveledge of working at home. It is the formation of the future- a future of adventure and risk. A future unknown to me, but known in the mind of God. A future full of  mystery and excitement. A future submitted for the glory of God.  

          Lord, lead me how you will. May this business give all glory and honor to you. 

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9 

              The skeleton of ideas…..unfolds…

The Game of Risk

     Even as I write this, there are so many draft posts I have along the side, but I can honestly tell you in the very very short time I’ve had this blog- I absolutely love it! I love writing ideas out, topics I’m thinking of, lessons God is teaching me- about himself or others, ways to inspire and create. 

    Often times I love reading other blogs to get ideas- I know I’m not the best blogger out there, or even the most unique (I realize there are about 101 million blogs about homemaking on the market) but I do love what I do.  I love hearing other peoples thoughts on the home, getting their perspective and ”oohing” and “‘ ahhing” over their DIY ideas. Its encouraging to see so many creative people in the virtual world. 

                                 

      

                      I could spend hours on Pinterest and blogs looking at fantastic ideas 

 

       Like them,  I love creating. Thinking out of the box- creating gifts, or decor for the home, anything— poetry, letters, stories, journaling, painting, scrapbooks, collages, art’n crafts etc.  I love using scripture or sermons to inspire pictures, or events to inspire poetry. I believe that as we were so creatively designed we were made to be creative designers.

      Yet, there is a lot I don’t know about being creative or being creative for other people, or what it takes to use that creativity to make revenue. The last couple of months have  been stretching for my boyfriend and I. We have so many ideas and dreams but often don’t know how to “get there”. I want to expained my cleaning “business” to include training, homemaking, selling DIY products and selling crafts. He is wanting to pursue some occupations that are ” out of the box” and pursue writing projects. It’s all very exciting, and adventous and not a little intimidating, and ….it all involves RISK. 

 

    What if others don’t like what my hands have made?  What if my creative juices fall short? What if my crafts are a total dud? What if I don’t get hired? Or what if I’m just spinning my wheels in vain? 

   We are MADE to be creative beings- because we are MADE by a creative Heavenly Father. When we make something, take a risk, put ourselves “out there”, something happens inside of us. Something comes alive! Indeed it was as if it was how God meant it to be. To be alive, in the dreams he has given us. 

                                                   

         

                                  The game of RISK is one of my family’s favorite games 

            Often times we aren’t creative because we are afraid of failure. Failure is that which we see “snuffing-out”our  dreams and not seeing them to fruition. Or failure of making a mistake. Let me be real with you for a moment. This is the third time I’ve written this blog post. I make the mistake each time of not hitting the “save” button and losing all my work. It is discouraging, I will admit, yet pressing through makes each time I write it, better, sharper, and clearer. The post becomes more focused, and better defined with each rewrite. Failure drags us through torture to refine us, focus us, and holds us accountable. Failure forcefully gives us better definition to our dreams so that they are more efficient. 

    How much more ALIVE we would become, if we would embrace failure, and pursue creativity and risk taking? How much more “dangerous” for his Kingdom? So walk through your failure and take that risk, it WILL be worth it in the end. 

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”- Fredrick Buechner